It is always interesting to follow the trends that shape our world and to recognize how we perceive technology. And, from my vantage point I see technology going backwards! It seems that many people are getting tired of being dragged or pushed into more and more distractions and unnecessary gadgets that make life “better”. Like the mythical lemmings running to the edge of the cliff to jump, they are turning around. (Lemmings do not commit suicide). There are several good examples of how this reversal of interest is manifesting itself. When e-readers like the Kindle were first introduced it was foretold that books would become obsolete. For the first time in the 600 years since Gutenberg, we would read all of our books electronically. And although the readers have access to many books, there is sterility to reading on a screen. There is no soul or sense of holding a tangible object. And, many humans who read suffer from headaches from the constant glow of pixels forming the words. Certainly there are book stores that have folded, but the overall sale of books is up, and the sales of Kindle’s are down. We have a local bookstore that is thriving and adding new titles daily, and a library that is always busy. And, there are no e-readers! It is frequently disconcerting to see people walking along with their heads bowed in reverence to Facebook, emails, or the all knowing Google. Unfortunately in their great joy they miss the world around them and run into objects or other people! But, that is changing as well. Cell phones quaintly referred to as flip-phones or clam shells are making a comeback. The cover photo is my newly acquired Samsung Gusto 3. It makes phone calls and has a camera for emergencies. I am not important enough to need 24/7 access to people who might want to call me. They can use my landline which has an answering machine. And, 47 % of other Americans also have landlines! Samsung has ramped up their production of this “old” technology and is having a hard time keeping up with demand. Perhaps you remember the instant cameras like the Polaroid. You take a picture, eject the photo and wait 60 seconds for it to develop. And although Polaroid stopped selling the film in 2007, a Dutch company, the Implausible Project bought the rights to the technology. Now they can’t keep up with demand and sold 3,000 cameras on Black Friday alone. And, they don’t go to an iCloud! One of the most interesting reversals of fortunes is in the resurgence of the vinyl record industry. Once considered dead, vinyl has come back stronger than ever. However, I have some hesitation about the “new vinyl”. All of the original vinyl records were analog which allowed for warmth and some imperfections. But some of the new vinyl is manufactured with music recorded digitally and transferred to vinyl. That is a sad misnomer in my opinion. But the album cover art is still outstanding! There is a revolution in the making and several changes are in the wind. I have discovered that there is a renewed interest in typewriters as well as other simple devices like sewing machines. It seems , like pack rats, we are attracted to shiny items but just bring them home to get outdated before replacing them with newer versions. Maybe it is just planned obsolescence or there really is a seed change underway. Perhaps I should write a book about it…